19th century portrait of a bearded man - Louis Mettling (1847-1904) - 20¾" x 17¼"

This superb, signed Louis Mettling (1847-1904) portrait dates from the late nineteenth century. The bearded man has his head tilted to the side, looking directly at the viewer. Oil on wood. Note the workmanship to the back of the painting.

 

Louis Mettling (French, 1847-1904) noted painter born in 1847 in Dijon, Côte- d'Or, France to English parents. He is primarily known for his oil paintings in the style of the old Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt and Spanish Velázquez. His works include portraits, landscapes, historical scenes, cityscapes, genre and interiors, street children, and still lifes. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyons, was a pupil under Alexandre Cabanel (French, 1823-1889) and maintained studios in Neuilly-sur-Seine and also in Paris.

He first exhibited in the Paris Salon in 1880, and later won two awards of honorable mention at the 1888 Salon and again at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Mettling died on March 6, 1904 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.